As a rancher, it always surprises me that the vast majority of truck owners know absolutely nothing about gearing. Anytime I ask someone what type of gearing they have, they usually say they don’t know. Even people towing camper trailers don’t know. When someone says that their truck is really bad it towing, and they say Fords suck at towing, Chevys suck, or Rams suck, it’s because it probably sucks because they are clueless about the gearing in their truck, and they’re probably towing illegally.
You are right and I would guess about half of the trucks out there on the road towing anything are over payload. They will look at the tow capacity of the truck and assume they are okay. They often won’t look at pin weight or payload.
You are correct. As a teenager I learned a lot about engines and the importance of the rear end gear ratios. Added that I worked around truck drivers, I learned even more.
that’s pretty harsh. Some people are just more in tuned or intuitive about the mechanics of trucks. I’m still learning and I’m in my 60’s, with the newer trucks and their technology.
Just look at the modern mass market automotive articles now days.. years ago, they talked about the Holly Carburators, and the advancements in the new MSD ignition... Now, they talk about how many modes the massaging seats have, how many cameras there are, and who has the biggest infotainment screen.. As for gearing... It's a delicate balance between power and fuel economy. Given most folks buy their F-150 for a grocery-getter and commuter vehicle, it makes sense to have taller gearing for EPA numbers, but it sucks for towing.
I just went from Illinois to Yellowstone with a 22 F150 5.0, 3.31 gears towing a Keystone Passport 2400RB (7500lb) loaded and had zero problems with hills. I was very impressed with how well it did. This is coming from someone who grew up on a farm driving big trucks and trailers alot. The extra fuel economy when not towing with the 3.31 gears outweighs the extra "punch" of the 3.73. If you are going to tow more than 10k get a 3/4 ton and you'll be much happier with everything except your fuel bill. Godzilla 7.3s in the F250s are nice but they do like to drink some gas.
A 4 cycle engine fires each cylinder every 2 rotations of the engine. Divide the cylinders by 2 and we come up with 4 power strokes per rotation with that engine. 4 times 3.31, and the 3.31 gets 13.24 "power impulses" for each tire rotation. The 3.73 gets 14.92 impulses, or 1.68 more impulses per tire rotation. More energy is given per rotation, but it adds up fast when you rotate the tire 7 or 8 hundred times per mile driven.
You have a transmission too. And one with 10 speeds at that. Your math was probably more important when trucks had 4 speed transmissions and torque well under 400 ft-lbs
Thank you for a great video Alex, always enjoy your true to life information. I am a retired Ford senior master technician in Texas and I really like how you explain truck differences. I currently drive a 2023 F150 5.0 Tremor, a 2023 Whipple charged F150 5.0 Platinum and a 2024 base Raptor pickup. I love your content and just wanted to give you a shout out of recognition to your content. My father in law drives an 06 Power Wagon (and I am his mechanic) so I am quite versed in Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks. I am glad that you see some benefits that Ford trucks offer, but also respect that you own the Power Wagon. Please keep up the great content! Thank you for your hard work that you obviously put into your videos.
I tow a 5000lb TT 24 foot, 2014 F150 5.0 3.55 i tow about 8000km a year and get around 12 mpg cnd. I try to drive around 63mph in 4th or 5th gear. Tows like a dream
The 63 mph is a sweet spot for many tow vehicles. All of my tow vehicles (2 Tahoes, a 1500 Silverado, and a 2500HD Silverado) have had that sweet spot that produces the best mpg.
I paid chunk to regear my 2014 f150 3.31 to 4.10's. Wasn't cheap (4x4) but man when I was towing, it was worth it. Everyone said "just tune it" but let me tell you, my tuned 3.31 still couldn't compete with my 4.10's even when stock. Truck just feels like it's working so much less. Granted mine is a 6spd transmission, so the improvement for mine is greater than the improvement on a modern 10spd.
331 would've towed like an absolute dog, I've wondered about even going 3.73 with my 14 5L as i have 355 but it likely wouldn't be noticeable enough to warrant the change. I tow often but also do alot of highway. Feel like 3.55 is the good middle of the road gear, yours probably pulls like a train especially since these are rev happy engines
I have the 2015 which also has the 6 speed. I regeared also from the 3:31 to 3:73 and it was a game changer! Pricey for sure for us 4x4 guys but definitely worth it.
Thanks for the great video on the 3.73 vs 3.31. Former 2012 SD with 6.2 w/4.30 gears. 10 years towing a 5th wheel rv. First trip north from southern Missouri to South Dakota averages 3.6 Mpg 4th gear; hit 5th gear twice. Learned about using the manual mode and stay with it for our whole trip around the U.S.A. Averaged 9.3 mpg. Just purchased a 2024 Ford F150 5.0L XL 3.73 4x4 currently sitting at 900 miles. Look forward to more videos. Thanks for information, Leo
I used a 2021 F150 pick up 5 litre with 3.73 gears. Towed a 6x12 double axel trailer. Maybe 5000 lbs plus 500 lbs in the truck bed. Drove this 1400 miles at 65mph and got near 15 mpg.
So what this video actually proves is that gearing *almost* doesn't matter. The slower 3.73 gear DOES help in first gear. The total gear ratio for the 3.31 gears is 15.56:1 compared to 17.53:1 with the 3.73. so the 3.73s will help you get a heavier load moving. But from there you have to account for both the transmission and rear end gear. And since the transmission has multiple ratios, at certain speeds, the 3.31s actually have an advantage over the 3.73s. Your tow test demonstrated this perfectly, despite your attempts to bury the evidence. The 3.73 truck *feels* more powerful because you are comparing gear for gear. Of course it has more torque in 5th gear than the 3.31 in 5th. But at the speed you were driving, the 3.31s pulled in 5th gear for a total of 5.03:1 torque multiplication, compared to the 3.73 gears at 4.77:1. This is why the 3.31 truck did not have to downshift. It had more torque available to it because it was running in 5th gear. If the test speed were increased slightly or decreased slightly, such that the 3.31 truck were to shift to 6th, or the 3.73 truck could have remained in 5th, then the test would have shown different results. The point being that the truck will try to make the ratio it needs via the transmission, regardless of what gear is in the rear end. The only time the rear end gear truly matters is in 1st gear when getting the load moving, and 10th gear when trying to minimize rpm on the highway. Regarding the 3.73 truck kicking down to 4th rather than 5th-- this is a cruise control logic issue. The pcm wants to keep the truck in the fastest gear it can maintain speed in, so it resists downshifting until a certain speed below the set point is reached. Seems to he 5 kmh below set point. Once that threshold is reached, the truck is downshifting with intentions of returning to the set speed, not maintaining. So it downshifts twice for extra torque to bring the truck back up to speed. If it downshifted sooner it could do a better job of maintaining speed in 5th rather than a double kickdown, but it would require a narrower bandwidth on the set speed
@@limprooster3253 The higher the numerical ratio in the axle, the less stress on the engine and transmission when operating at or near GVW or CGVW when towing. The newer 8 and 10 speed transmissions make this even smoother. Going to a 4.10 axel ratio makes them tow even better.
If you hadn't said it, I and probably many others, would have. Maybe folks who pretend to teach via video should actually learn first, then teach. It might also be good to have someone proofread or proofwatch their stuff. It would save a lot of the ol' egg-on-face syndrome.
@@hotflashfoto - I actually typed a lot more than that. Then I proof read it and decided to just keep it simple. I do that a lot sometimes. It's a good way to blow off steam without making a arse of myself in the process. ;-)
@@oldjarhead386 - and your understanding of the process is so very flawed, but you're not alone in that. Think about it, the "higher" the gearing, the "slower" the engine has to turn to achieve a given speed. The "lower" the gearing, the "faster" the engine has to turn to achieve a given speed. Think first gear vs fourth gear. With the final drive ratio of 3.73:1, the drive shaft has to turn 3.73 revolutions to turn the wheels one turn. The 3.31:1 ratio, the drive shaft only has to turn 3.31 revolutions to turn the wheels one turn. The 3.73 has to turn more revolutions to travel a given distance than the 3.31 ration does. That's why 3.73 is a "lower" gear ratio than 3.31 and "that" is the mathematical fact of the matter. I used to own a 2016 Mustang GT with a manual transmission. The gear ratios were as follows: 1st - 4.17:1 2nd - 2.34:1 3rd - 1.52:1 4th - 1.14:1 5th - 0.87:1 6th - 0.69:1 Note that the "lower" gears have "higher" numbers. 5th and 6th gears are what they call an "overdrive," because the output side of the transmission is actually turning faster than the input side, that being the engine itself. I hope this clarifies things a little.
That's a great test of an F150 with gas. Let me offer a Diesel towing example. I have the standard 2023 6.7 diesel. Gears are 3.31. I tow at 65-70 MPH with my 6,000 lb trailer and get about 15.5 MPG up and down hills. On the flat, it gets about 20 MPG I just drove it across Oregon and down to Yuba City, Ca. I kept it about 75 and occasionally 80. I got 21.3 MPG on a little over 1,200 miles. The trip down I actually got 22.3 MPG. The hills going back to Portland were quite a bit steeper. the Diesel engine produces fairly flat torque between 1500 and 3000 RPM and it doesn't hit 1500 RPM in 10th gear until I hit 70 MPH. It's great to see how these trucks perform in the extremes.
Hi Alex. Excellent results numbers in each segment (V6 Biturbo and V8 normally aspirated). That coyote is great for occasional work and recreational trips and with the V8 coyote it is the best! There is no doubt that the coyote became the most efficient! Although my reasoning will always be: large loads and/or towing long distances and with a daily routine; then the best choice will be a diesel. THANK YOU very much for your EXCELLENT COMPARISON AND YOUR COMMENTS! You are the best Alex, a HUG and BLESSINGS x ALWAYS! 🙏 Big HUG from CDMX; México! 😮
Got 4mpg towing with the Chevy 454 and turbo 400 trans back in the day. It is physics or something, it takes so much energy to do so much work... I had a 5L in 2016 with the 6spd and it was a lame high revving dog. Had three Ecoboost since a 2.7 which was surprisingly quick and two 3.5's which have been absolute beasts. They drive like a diesel with gobs of torque down low. My V8 was in a coma below 4k rpm. I had to flog and rev it out to do any work.
Excellent comparison, i tow with 3.73s in my OBS Chevy and I think the key to towing with them and still get decent fuel economy is to just go a little slower on the highway. Towing our travel trailer and stay between 55&60 mph and I average between 10.5&12 depending on the conditions. I only have three speeds though since I don't tow in overdrive lol.
Thank you for this video. Very few talk about the differential gearing included in our cars and trucks. One thing I wanted to mention is that the higher the numbers go on the ratio actually means the gearing is lower, not higher. So, the 3.73 gears are lower than the 3.23 gears. Another is that even though the engine spins faster with 3.73 gears vs. 3.23 gears at the same rpm, it makes it easier on the engine to pull heavier loads, creating less strain on the engine. Anyway, just some friendly feedback. I just subscribed to your channel. Thank you.
If I were towing all the time...like 85% or more or some odd situation where I needed that off-the-line grunt to move something like a loaded farm wagon or whatever, then 3.73's. But with the 10 speed transmission and all those close ratios, it seems the 3.31's would be a more logical choice for overall performance and economy. The 3.31's got the job done just fine with the added benefit of better fuel economy both towing and I'm sure empty driving. The 10 speed transmission is definitely a rear gear equalizer when driving down the road. Almost like having a splitter in a big truck.
Agreed, I think the difference is pretty minor with 10 speed transmissions. When we used to have 3 or 4 speeds it would make a lot more difference. Aside from getting the load moving it's not that big of a difference. People get way too worked up about what the best gearing is.
I drive a F150 FX4, 5.0 engine, 373 gears, 10 speed trans, I pull trailer with 4wheelers in the ozark mountains. It also has Nitto's Recons 11:00 X 34's. This truck is perfect in the mountains or my drive to work. (lot of power).
I know e85 isnt available everywhere but that is a major reason I bought the 5.0. It gains big time without a tune running e85 and it will tow my 7k enclosed around 2600 rpm. If all you ever plan to run is 87, obviously the 3.5 will be stronger but just throwing e85 in the tank closes that gap big time, granted mpg tanks but e85 is also 20-25% cheaper than 87 so it works out.
I've been towing Rv's for 40+ years. Old school no replacement for displacement was whisked away for me when I got my 2015 F150 with a 3.5L ECO with a 3.31. This was the Heavy Tow option pkg. I towed a 7200# travel trailer. Tows it like a dream up and down the hills & mtns here in the Pacific NW. I also had a 2020 F150 with the V-8 & 3.73rear. I actually preferred the ECO for towing. The twin turbos make torque! Now have a F350 with 3.73 rear & 7.3L Godzilla & 8400# trailer. About the same tow with more stability. MPG's on all 3 are very, very close to the same at 10.3 mpg +/- 0.1 mpg. I've never gone below 7 mpg's & that was with a good sized head wind. Not sure how you got 5-6 mpg's? Totally agree the higher numbered rear will move a load better though. Its all about getting it started and keeping in the TQ range.
@@billw8476 Do you own one that gave you a problem?? I sold mine 3 years ago with no issues and the new owner to this day has had no issues. I was hesitant at first due to the small cu.in. size but a friend with one several years old and over 100k miles hauling a track hoe had nothing but praise. I'd buy another one in heartbeat. Lots of "war stories" but actual problems are no different than any other engine. Turbos have been used for many years in many engines. Honda, Toyota & Ram have gone to them as well.
My F150 is a supercrew 4x4. It has the 2.7L ecoboost and 3.55's. The 2.7L has no problems towing, within the limitations of tongue weight, suspension setup, and tire construction.
Better than the Eco on fuel, worse than the 3.31. That all makes sense. I have seen some frustrating shift logic when towing with the 3.73. I have locked out gears 8-10 while towing in some steep, and/or rolling hills. Still was able to get 9-12 mpg towing a 22 foot Airstream at up to 75 mph in those hills. It might rev higher, but it isn't an unpleasant sound track. 😊
@@Jbs6187 You do realize that in all his towing tests, he is doing 110 kmh. That works out to ~68.3 mph. On the downhills, he has reached 115, which is ~71.4 mph. If your equipment is rated for what you're doing, and you're confident in your abilities and comfortable with the risks, the speed at which you travel, within legal limits, is up to the discretion of the driver. That goes for all weather conditions, in all situations, towing or otherwise. Stay safe out there! 🙂
Great video! The other towing factor not discussed, is downhill. I have a '16 Ram 1500 with 3.92 ratio. My wife used to have a '14 Ram 1500 with 3.21 ratio. Speed control going downhill was way better with my trucks 3.92 ratio. One day, she went and traded in her truck for a brand new Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins with the 3.42 ratio, just to get the VGT turbo exhaust brake. Of course that Cummins gets awesome fuel economy using Hot Shot Secret EDT and that tall ratio gearing. But since the 6.7L has excess torque. The two missing gears of the six speed vs eight speed and the tall ratio are not a problem.
@darryladams519 Did you watch the video? Yea, the shorter ratio pulled harder from a stop, but neither struggled much. Once moving there wasn't much difference at all.
My 7.3 with 4.30 gears pulls harder than my dad’s 7.3 with 3.55 gears, but the 3.55 isn’t available any longer. It’s only 3.73 and 4.30. But the 4.30 gears are jumpy in traffic til I put it in eco mode. My dad gets 1mpg better, which is significant. Our trucks have 48 gallon tanks so he can go about 42 miles further on each tank before the “low fuel” light kicks on.
@@rich7447 Maybe it’s programmed different with the gas engine, or maybe the little bit of turbo lag the 6.7 has makes it feel less jumpy. I don’t know. And yes, my gas truck is in 10th gear at 45 mph as well. If I’m driving on roads under 50mph I lock out 10th gear and cruise in 9th.
@@cliffordmontana4562 It definitely could be related to the difference in power delivery. The rev range for the powerband is a lot different with the 7.3 vs the 6.7. You are almost past my redline at idle. LOL. The truck also doesn't give me full power in the first two or three gears (traction control).
Good video. While not directly relevant, I'm surprised you didnt give a courtesy-mention that the 3.31 gears are a 8.8" differential while the 3.73 come with a 9.75" diff.
re-geared my 2014 f350 from 3.73 to 4.56's.. in the Pacific Northwest it makes a huge difference when you go from sea level to 3k or 5k in only a few miles. Truck pulls the hills so much easier, that being said, it is not a highspeed long distance truck, unless your towing the whole time.
The 3.73 had to downshift because the total mechanical advantage wasn't enough to satisfy engine load based on the calibration. Total mechanical advantage (4.75) = transmission ratio (1.275(6th) ) X differential ratio (3.73). The 3.31's were at 5.03 = 3.31*1.520. The chosen vehicle speed adds to this all.
Kinda seemed like there was a mixed bag in terms of impressions on the 3.73s here. Mentioning more shifting, less fuel economy. I have no doubt the 3.73s feel more peppy but the 3.31s seemed to do very well at the speeds you were traveling at, and perhaps they were more advantageous at some of those particular speeds versus the 3.73s. Having the 10-speed really means you can have your cake and eat it too (if it's reliable).
Dude, you need to understand gear ratios before talking about them. A 3.73 is a lower gear ratio than a 3.31. Numerically it's a higher number but in gear ratio speak it is lower.
2022 RCSB 5.0 4x4. 4.10 @ torsen front 4.09 @ clutch posi rear. 22x9 Ford aluminum wheels 46psi 285/55/22 GO15 Yokohama tires. Basically 3.73 effective gear ratio. Truck rips avg 19+ 60-65 @ 17+ @ 70-80mph. Have towed 6,900lbs of steel in my dump trailer (3,300lbs) for a total of 16,860lbs @ avg 60mph with no problems. Have a ladder rack @ aluminum tool box in bed. New F150 is under rated in what it is capable of doing with the right gears ,wheels and tires. Stock not so much.....
Now you need to order a custom flex fuel tune for both trucks from reputable 5L F150 tuners like All Motor Research Labs, or an OZ tune, and put E85 (or 91/93 if you must use pump gas) in the tank, and really experience how potent these 18+ 5L/10R80 trucks can be with just a basic tune. You'd be surprised at how well these trucks respond to good gas, and a tune. Factory tuning is ultra conservative, and withholds a ton of timing from the engine to let it live happy on 87 octane with a 12:1 CR. Also the tuning on the transmission is much improved with these tuners.
@@ryananderson6321 just E85 you buy at the pump. At the pump they claim it has an octane rating of 105, but that its actual content can be anywhere from E70-E85. Still a much higher octane than premium octane pump gas, and the beauty of flex fuel is it will self adjust to match whatever you're running in the tank. Some tuners want to give you 4-5 different tunes for this fuel of that fuel. The heck with that. Mustang with 5L, or F150 with EB are nit factory flex fuel, but the gas cap on the F150 5L is yellow indicating that it is factory flex fuel. Use it and let it self adjust to whatever fuel mixture is in your tank and whatever situation you're in. All this, "I got a 87 tune, and a 91 tune, and a 93 tune, and a tow tune, and blah, blah, blah. Piss on that, leave that to them Egobewst's. (I own a 17 3.5L/10R80 501A truck as well) That why I push AMRL and OZ so much. Their tunes embrace the factory flex fuel setup, and use it, where most every other tuner want to give you tunes for any given octane of situation, but what if you get some crappy gas, or what if your mixture of filling up a previous tank of 87 with E85 only yields 97 octane instead of 105? IDK why Lund, or PBD, or other big 5L tuners don't adopt flex fuel when tuning the F150. It doesn't compromise overall power/performance like adaptive tunes for EB do. Its MPG's are pretty piss poor on E85. Think GEN2 Lightning, or GEN Tundra 5.7L type MPG's. Still that's expected. It takes more E85 to = X energy than it does gasoline. I've seen where some people with 21+ trucks that use cylinder deactivation can cruise around between 16-17 MPG. In my 18 I get in a 13 MPG range. Still worth it for the power, as it's over $1.00 less a gallon than premium, so in the long run it kind of equals out, and I personally am not going to run around on 87 octane with a 12:1 CR regardless of what the OEM claims. Here's a bone stock 4x4/crewcab with an OZ tune. th-cam.com/video/1XrsIZd4IjE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4F7DuMsYVuAMmteb Here's a 2WD/crewcab, with a ported Boss 302 manifold, a ram air intake, LT's, and deleted cats, running an AMRL tune and E85 in the tank. th-cam.com/video/Vv_OGA7oKF8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_vDykPe1K3x7m-v0
Bro the critical part of all this is that the transmission has 10 gears. The 3.73 vs 3.31 is going to make very little difference from like 3rd to 8th gear maybe even 1 more on each side. The 3.73 has the biggest effect on the extremes of the tranny gearing. So you are gonna take off right from a stop faster, and your top gear will hang around a little higher rpm than the 3.31. But there are 8 other gears for the transmission to adjust from in between. For a ten speed I’d just choose the middle gear set 3.55 and let the transmission figure it out unless you tow really heavy. One thing the 3.73 does do though is take a little bit of mechanical stress away from the transmission by letting it spin a little faster for the same speed output. A 3.73 would be a little more practical in a truck with less transmission gearing. Like my 2011 f150 with the 6 speed. Otherwise like a said, the biggest notice will be in 1st and 10th on the new truck.
Alex, another great test video. The mpg's do hurt, but that's the price with towing a trailer. I wonder how the F250 7.3 would compare, times and mpgs? Have a great week.
Again, love the videos. Debating between Ford 3.5/5.0 F150 Tremor with 373 or Chevy 3L ZR2. Having a really hard time. Had a 3L diesel and amazing truck. Have and still own 3.5 and also amazing truck. Like a sports car. However, can you PLEASE do a test with your trailer with a Chevy 3L LZ0. I’d love to see those numbers vs the trucks I have listed. You have done basically every half ton but the king of MPG and also seems like your favourite motor. Pls do that test 😊
2022 f150 5.0, 373 grs, averaged 10.6 mpg towing a 1976 bronco (est. the trailer and bronco to = around 7500 lbs ) from kansas city to hurricane utah and back. Took interstate 70 over the Rockies and drove the speed limit, Speed limit was 80mph in parts of utah and 70 to 75 mph in Kansas and Colorado. I did not try to get good mpg at all.
I ordered a '24 STX 5.0 supercab with the max tow pkg (3.73) as I'm hoping to pull a 26-ft Grand Design toy hauler (Momentum 21G) that's about 9K lbs when loaded with a Can-Am 3-wheeler.
If I knew I would tow with a 5L, I'd order the 3.9-ish or 4.11 axle. The latter WILL reduce the MPG, BUT gain you about 4000 Lbs of "towing capacity" by Ford's website. "If you ain't got HP, you better have gears." The late Mr. Springer, a 50 year GAS 115-165 HP semi driver who taught me to drive a Triplex transmission.
My 2015 5.0 had the 3:31 gears with the 6 speed. Regeared to 3:73 and that was a game changer for the 6 speed. With 10 ply 33”s on the factory 3:31 gears trans would hunt for gears like crazy, 3:73 straightened that out perfectly. I’m going back to factory size standard load tire this weekend so curious how the 3:73 is gonna feel with them.
It’s interesting watching you tow with the 5.0 being a eco boost owner. The engine is SCREAMING the entire time. With a similar load my eco boost is whisper quiet and is flying up hills at 2500 rpm. I like the 5.0 but for towing I’d rather not hear it screaming for hours on end.
A 3.73 ratio is far better suited to towing than a 3.31ratio. additionally, tire diameter plays into this. If you have larger diameter tires than factory equipped, that effects towing ability. Larger diameter tire means less towing ability.
That's what I have on my '18 5L and the 3.55 is nice for road trips and but it's a little bit sluggish when towing a big box trailer. The transmission temp is always pinned in the middle and my MPG is usually around 12 when going 70mph
Even comparing different years with the same axle ratios but more gears in the transmission can make a huge difference. A five speed vs. an eight speed, you will definitely notice a differenc.
I've come to discover, after trading my 2014 F150 Ecoboost for a 2018 Lexus LX570 with the 5.7L V8 and 8 speed, that gearing does matter with the V8's, especially at elevation. Mostly to gain access to additional gears and get into the powerband. You have to rev the piss out of them to get to the HP. My Ecoboost did not care. It had the old 6 speed and I was even running 35's on the stock axle gears, and it would still pull super strong at 6500' of elevation. There was virtually no situation where I ever had to floor my Ecoboost and use all of its available power. My LX570 on stock 32's and 3.31 axle struggles with the same trailer. There is a few climbs where I get into a power well where I can't drop another gear and I end up losing a bunch of speed and end up at 55mph with my foot buried in the throttle. I am considering swapping the 3.31's for 3.91's from a tundra to shift all the gears down one. Basically my new 8th gear would be equal to my old 7th, old 6th equal to new 7th, etc. That would give me an extra gear to play with.
The answer is obvious. Of course it will tow better. It will accelerate better when not towing also. The trade off is slightly worse fuel economy when taking long highway trips as you will be running a higher rpm. Always buy the higher gear ratio! It will put you in the engines powerband faster. It really depends on matching the rpm that the gears give you to the engines sweet spot.
With a 10 speed transmission and a bunch of gear ratios to choose from once I’m at speed I don’t really think the rear end ratio matters as much I like the 3.73 for all that torque multiplication off the line when hauling a heavy load
I towed a 14 foot enclosed aluminum trailer with my 2012 ford f150 with 5.0l 6 speed tranny and 3.55 gears from Minnesota to Wyoming and back and average 7 mpg for the trip. Average speed was about 70mph the whole trip on the interstate. Trailer was loaded with 2 atvs and some camping/hunting gear
Yeah what he is saying is not even feasible. You will be lucky to see 7mpg on an unloaded truck. My ram 1500 ecodiesel could get 8mpg with nothing but me and was tuned/deleted and doing less than 120 km/h.
I hope you get to do a highway fuel economy test without the trailer. I’m curious how much of a hit the 3.73 will take on the freeway at 70+ miles per hour compared to the 3.31….if there is even a significant hit at all.
yeah. I would take the 3.73 every time. I had a truck with 3.55 and it was good for getting groceries and running up and down the interstate not towing anything. It was basically a car. Get 4.10's and watch it pull. yeah I don't know about a ten speed trans. I would rather have a 6 or 8 speed, but I am old school. We'll never see fuel economy like before EPA mandated urea Bravo Sierra Carp, of 2007-08. EPA neutered diesels. Trudeau just followed along. Good video's Alex. best regards chuck
My 5.0 6R80 w/ 3.31s tows well. May not be as aggressive or quick as a 3.73 but it has always done the job and gets pretty darn good fuel economy all things considered.
@@ALMX5DP yeah I agree, I always like the six speed transmission. Good transmission. In Alex's tests, he is letting the truck decide on the gears and when to shift. If you can manually select a gear in anticipation of an upcoming hill get some momentum, and back off little by little instead of forcing 4 grand RPM, you can achieve good fuel mileage.
@@parrott350 yup, I added a Raptor wheel to mine which is quite nice to have the paddle shifters right at hand to make that type of driving very intuitive.
Good video Alex.....you just proved that regardless of rear axle ratio,the 3.5 Ecoboost is better than both of those 5.0's when it comes to towing performance😊.Maybe try a 3:55 axle next time.
You really need to stop saying it taller gears when referring to numerically higher numbers. In common car speak / parlance this is lower gearing as the mechanical advantage is better and thus lower gears. As with a bicycle chain the bigger rear gears are actually lower gears. Otherwise, I really do enjoy your reviews and consider you to be one of the better reviewers on TH-cam.
Transmission and tire size also play a huge roll in gearing, or the perception of it. A truck with 33” tires, 4.10 gears and a 4 speed won’t tow as well as the same truck with a 3.73 gear ratio, and the same truck with a 10 speed and a 3.42 will even tow better, if you drop a gear or two in the 10 speed with a 3.42 it will be at about the same RPM as the truck with the 4.10 at the same speed, but it will have a lower first gear and closer gear splits so it won’t feel like it’s working as hard.
I tow a 30 foot camper with my 2014 F-150 5.0with 3.55 gears and it gets roughly 32L/100km and tows it fine in my opinion. Ive never felt under powered. Maybe my "old" truck is better then these "new" ones 😂. 3.55 seems to be a great all around gear ratio in my opinion
You make great videos, sir, and I watch many of them, and maybe this was corrected elsewhere in the video or comments.... However, higher gearing is NOT the bigger number, like 3.73. 3.73 is the 'lower' gearing, even if it has a larger number. Keep on Truckin. - Edit... The bigger number, 3.73:1 in this case, does give a mechanical advantage as you say, as gearing multiplies torque. However, the higher number is a 'lower gearing', not a higher.
even tho i hardley ever use my truck s a truck...when i order it i always go for the lowest(higher number) gear i can..so 4.10 or 3.92 or whatever. Because when i spend 75-90k on a truck today i want it to have the most truck capability. And one thing i hate is putting the cruise on....and getting to a hill and having the tranny downshift..i want it to just smoothly cruise
love your vids.. you struggled on this one to prove a point that was working against you lol, old school drivers knows lower gearing, or a higher gear ratio so I don't het slammed is better for towing heavy loads, if you had a manual trans and not relied on computers to determine what the truck does people would understand better
The TCU doesn’t seem to behave as it did in the 331. It didn’t downshift as quick making it necessary to shift 2 gears at a time to get up the hill. 8000# is a lot of weight for any half ton truck. If you’re towing a trailer that heavy consistently, the super duty would be a better choice. You’d probably get better gas mileage with the Godzilla engine. Godzilla considers Coyotes a snack!😂
I have been playing with HP tuners, tuning, and towing with the 10 speed. There are some odd combos of weight and gear ratio with the 10 speed. If your speed and load are just right, you get the double downahift problem as noted on the 3.73 in this video. Thia is a transmission tuning problem and does hurt fuel mileage. The lower gear (3.73) in this case, should have less "space" between gears and be able to find the perfect RPM for every load, but the double downshift issue seems to negate the advantage. If one would manual shift, in this situation, the 3.73 gear truck would probably never drop in to 4th gear to run this loop. But thats just a work around for poor calibrating on Fords part. Its interesting because fuel mileage is gained when it hangs onto 6th gear "too long" but the downside is that when it finally has to shift, it misses 5th gear all together and hits 5000 rpm in 4th. A shift back to 5th when speed drops to 105 kph instead of hanging on to 102 and then going to 4th is the right adjustment for this combo.
With a modern 10 speed transmission, my choice would be the taller gearing (3.31) all day, shifting isn’t a bad thing, that’s why the tranny has 10 gears. The better fuel economy towing and empty is worth it. If the trailer is much over 8000 lbs, I’d rather be towing with a 3/4 ton anyway.
@@ambassadorofconciliation 5.0s suck down low. 3.31s are for empty daily drivers, not tow rigs. Nobody that tows often would willingly give up the mechanical advantage and an easier life for the engine and trans for .8 mpg.
I have the 3.55 rear end in my 2013 F-150. I pull a 6k Black Series HQ15. 3.55 is a good gear ratio for fuel economy and the 5.0 Coyote power makes up for this gear ratio.
With a 10 speed and all the ratios it has, final drive gearing means much less than it ever has. Back when we only had 4 gears it made a much bigger difference. If you want the best towing option you probably need to look at the 3.5 EB.
You seemed to be surprised that you obtained about the same fuel economy in your test of the two ford F150s with different axle ratios. I am not surprised by your results and my experience backs this up: 1. All else being equal, the same amount of energy is required to move the vehicle and its load over a given distance at a given speed regardless of the axle ratio. The axle ratio does not change wind resistance or the effects of gravity. 2. Engines do have a sweet spot for the best efficiency. Cruising over the optimal range may decrease fuel economy slightly only because the engine is operating out of the most efficient range. Generally, the ideal range for fuel-efficient cruising is between 1,500 and 2,500 RPM. Modern 8 and 10 speed transmissions act to select the transmission gear to keep the engine rpms in this sweet spot. When towing with a 3.92 axle ration, my 8 speed transmission settles into 7th gear on the highway. With a 3.21 axle ratio, it will likely be in 6th gear, keeping the final drive ratio about the same. 3. There may be situations where the lower axle ratio may make a bit of a difference on fuel economy: a. If driving at high speeds on the highway (80 mph +) the engine may be operating above the sweet spot even in top gear. This might make a little bit of difference, but anyone driving at those speeds is going to get horrible fuel economy regardless of the axle ratio due to the exponential increase in wind resistance at high speeds. b. Vehicles with lower axle ratios accelerate more rapidly. Rapid acceleration decreases fuel economy. Drivers who race from stop light to stop light may find their their fuel economy to be less with a higher axle ratio simply because they are accelerating more rapidly. This effect can be negated by conservative driving habits. In summary, conservative driving, as you used in your tests, will not result in much of a negative effect on fuel economy with modern 8 or 10 speed vehicles with a higher axle ratio. What owners will notice with a higher axle ratio is better acceleration and improved towing capacity.
Gearing doesnt matter as much as it used to. With the amount of gears these new transmissions have (10 in this case) the truck has many gears to choose from while towing. Back in the day when trucks had a 4 or 5 speed transmissions, you’d want to choose your rear end gearing to optimize torque at the speed you want to tow at.
So in this case you actually are better off with the 3.31 for towing that weight at that speed. The 3.73 couldn’t maintain speed in 6th so it had to downshift. The 3.31 maintained speed without downshifting because it was putting the necessary torque to the wheels.
You keep recommending the 3.73 but the only point it was any better was off the line. The 10spd is really a bit of an outlier when it comes to traditional thoughts on gearing because the transmission itself has so much more mechanical advantage that vesicles have traditionally had. And sub 6mpg is appalling. My old 15 truck with the 6spd managed 9.5 pulling just shy of 11,000 lbs over a roughly 500 mile loop. That truck also has a mustang manifold that likes rpm, 3.31s and a taller tire than factory. I’d take it over that 3.73 truck any day of the week
It has nothing to do with pulling power and everything to do with weight handling. The 3.73 upgrades the rear axle to a heavier duty 9.75” rear axle. The 3.31 comes with the standard 8.8” rear axles. The 9.75” holds 1000 more lbs of direct weight on it than the 8.8”. That’s why he keeps recommending the 3.73. Why do you think the max tow package for the 5.0 automatically includes the 3.73?
Torque is mechanical advantage which reduces effort to move a weight. The bicycle could better explain the relationship of drive gear at the axle and the transmission looking at the bicycle having only one gear at the back wheel. Deciding which size of gear which is better depends on value engine effort vs distance desired (think as how many pedal strokes on a bicycle going up a hill).
Before engines had the torque and horsepower of today’s trucks gear ratios were the only means of ensuring a decent ability to tow with relative ease. My last two pickups I ordered with 3:73 axel gears because I lived in a mountainous region and towed a lot. If I were to buy a new pickup I would consider a gear ratio that delivers a wee bit better fuel economy, not something so tall.
Gearing was a bigger issue back in the day of 3 and four speed transmissions. With todays 8-10 speeds. To can go to a higher gear like the 3.31 gear. The extra drop in gears (going from 6 to 4) is due more to the program if in the computer. If you had a transmission that was only 1/1 or a direct drive you might need 450 hp to get up the hill. The truck doesn’t produce that. So it splits the gears and compounds the house and torque. The computer lets the rpm drop to conserve fuel then drops two gears to make sure it’s at peak hp. Companies are all about mpg now adays. The lower gear will always be better for towing loads but mpg seems to be what companies are going for the most.
My 2010 Tundra 5.7L had a 4.30 gear ratio and was a gas killer with 6mpg towing a 6500lbs boat. 2018 Ram 2500 Cummins pulls the same boat at 13mpg. Easy decision for me.
I find it wild toyota went with such intense gearing. but the high gear ratio probably helps put less stress on the engine and trans with that mechanical advantage. BUT fuel economy as you pointed out takes a large hit lol
@@GettysGarage : I always thought Toyota was going for the higher tow rating and 0-60 times. They figured lower fuel economy would be an acceptable price to pay. It was a great truck and my Ram 2500 will never ride as smooth as the Tundra with the independent front suspension.
The rear end ratio has less effect on the results than how the transmission shifts in the different trucks. It seems like they created the 10-speed, but decided to not use them all.
As a rancher, it always surprises me that the vast majority of truck owners know absolutely nothing about gearing. Anytime I ask someone what type of gearing they have, they usually say they don’t know. Even people towing camper trailers don’t know. When someone says that their truck is really bad it towing, and they say Fords suck at towing, Chevys suck, or Rams suck, it’s because it probably sucks because they are clueless about the gearing in their truck, and they’re probably towing illegally.
You are right and I would guess about half of the trucks out there on the road towing anything are over payload. They will look at the tow capacity of the truck and assume they are okay. They often won’t look at pin weight or payload.
You are correct. As a teenager I learned a lot about engines and the importance of the rear end gear ratios. Added that I worked around truck drivers, I learned even more.
you can put it more simple : vast majority of people are ignorant, or dumb, or both.
that’s pretty harsh. Some people are just more in tuned or intuitive about the mechanics of trucks. I’m still learning and I’m in my 60’s, with the newer trucks and their technology.
Just look at the modern mass market automotive articles now days.. years ago, they talked about the Holly Carburators, and the advancements in the new MSD ignition...
Now, they talk about how many modes the massaging seats have, how many cameras there are, and who has the biggest infotainment screen..
As for gearing... It's a delicate balance between power and fuel economy. Given most folks buy their F-150 for a grocery-getter and commuter vehicle, it makes sense to have taller gearing for EPA numbers, but it sucks for towing.
I just went from Illinois to Yellowstone with a 22 F150 5.0, 3.31 gears towing a Keystone Passport 2400RB (7500lb) loaded and had zero problems with hills. I was very impressed with how well it did. This is coming from someone who grew up on a farm driving big trucks and trailers alot. The extra fuel economy when not towing with the 3.31 gears outweighs the extra "punch" of the 3.73. If you are going to tow more than 10k get a 3/4 ton and you'll be much happier with everything except your fuel bill. Godzilla 7.3s in the F250s are nice but they do like to drink some gas.
A 4 cycle engine fires each cylinder every 2 rotations of the engine.
Divide the cylinders by 2 and we come up with 4 power strokes per rotation with that engine.
4 times 3.31, and the 3.31 gets 13.24 "power impulses" for each tire rotation.
The 3.73 gets 14.92 impulses, or 1.68 more impulses per tire rotation.
More energy is given per rotation, but it adds up fast when you rotate the tire 7 or 8 hundred times per mile driven.
I like the breakdown! makes sense.
Your math is great, but doesn't take into account the transmission. Your numbers only apply in typical high gear, 1:1.
4 stroke.
All engines have 1 complete cycle.
You have a transmission too. And one with 10 speeds at that. Your math was probably more important when trucks had 4 speed transmissions and torque well under 400 ft-lbs
Thank you for a great video Alex, always enjoy your true to life information. I am a retired Ford senior master technician in Texas and I really like how you explain truck differences. I currently drive a 2023 F150 5.0 Tremor, a 2023 Whipple charged F150 5.0 Platinum and a 2024 base Raptor pickup. I love your content and just wanted to give you a shout out of recognition to your content. My father in law drives an 06 Power Wagon (and I am his mechanic) so I am quite versed in Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks. I am glad that you see some benefits that Ford trucks offer, but also respect that you own the Power Wagon. Please keep up the great content! Thank you for your hard work that you obviously put into your videos.
I tow a 5000lb TT 24 foot, 2014 F150 5.0 3.55 i tow about 8000km a year and get around 12 mpg cnd. I try to drive around 63mph in 4th or 5th gear. Tows like a dream
I also shift it manually when towing as I like to control it when in rolling hills.
The 63 mph is a sweet spot for many tow vehicles. All of my tow vehicles (2 Tahoes, a 1500 Silverado, and a 2500HD Silverado) have had that sweet spot that produces the best mpg.
I paid chunk to regear my 2014 f150 3.31 to 4.10's. Wasn't cheap (4x4) but man when I was towing, it was worth it. Everyone said "just tune it" but let me tell you, my tuned 3.31 still couldn't compete with my 4.10's even when stock. Truck just feels like it's working so much less. Granted mine is a 6spd transmission, so the improvement for mine is greater than the improvement on a modern 10spd.
331 would've towed like an absolute dog, I've wondered about even going 3.73 with my 14 5L as i have 355 but it likely wouldn't be noticeable enough to warrant the change. I tow often but also do alot of highway. Feel like 3.55 is the good middle of the road gear, yours probably pulls like a train especially since these are rev happy engines
I have the 2015 which also has the 6 speed. I regeared also from the 3:31 to 3:73 and it was a game changer! Pricey for sure for us 4x4 guys but definitely worth it.
@@andrewclevelandWhat did it cost you?
@@itruck96 $2,040 if I remember correctly
Thanks for the great video on the 3.73 vs 3.31. Former 2012 SD with 6.2 w/4.30 gears. 10 years towing a 5th wheel rv. First trip north from southern Missouri to South Dakota averages 3.6 Mpg 4th gear; hit 5th gear twice. Learned about using the manual mode and stay with it for our whole trip around the U.S.A. Averaged 9.3 mpg. Just purchased a 2024 Ford F150 5.0L XL 3.73 4x4 currently sitting at 900 miles. Look forward to more videos. Thanks for information, Leo
I used a 2021 F150 pick up 5 litre with 3.73 gears. Towed a 6x12 double axel trailer. Maybe 5000 lbs plus 500 lbs in the truck bed. Drove this 1400 miles at 65mph and got near 15 mpg.
I'm betting your trailer frontal area is a lot smaller.
So what this video actually proves is that gearing *almost* doesn't matter. The slower 3.73 gear DOES help in first gear. The total gear ratio for the 3.31 gears is 15.56:1 compared to 17.53:1 with the 3.73. so the 3.73s will help you get a heavier load moving. But from there you have to account for both the transmission and rear end gear. And since the transmission has multiple ratios, at certain speeds, the 3.31s actually have an advantage over the 3.73s. Your tow test demonstrated this perfectly, despite your attempts to bury the evidence. The 3.73 truck *feels* more powerful because you are comparing gear for gear. Of course it has more torque in 5th gear than the 3.31 in 5th. But at the speed you were driving, the 3.31s pulled in 5th gear for a total of 5.03:1 torque multiplication, compared to the 3.73 gears at 4.77:1. This is why the 3.31 truck did not have to downshift. It had more torque available to it because it was running in 5th gear. If the test speed were increased slightly or decreased slightly, such that the 3.31 truck were to shift to 6th, or the 3.73 truck could have remained in 5th, then the test would have shown different results. The point being that the truck will try to make the ratio it needs via the transmission, regardless of what gear is in the rear end. The only time the rear end gear truly matters is in 1st gear when getting the load moving, and 10th gear when trying to minimize rpm on the highway.
Regarding the 3.73 truck kicking down to 4th rather than 5th-- this is a cruise control logic issue. The pcm wants to keep the truck in the fastest gear it can maintain speed in, so it resists downshifting until a certain speed below the set point is reached. Seems to he 5 kmh below set point. Once that threshold is reached, the truck is downshifting with intentions of returning to the set speed, not maintaining. So it downshifts twice for extra torque to bring the truck back up to speed. If it downshifted sooner it could do a better job of maintaining speed in 5th rather than a double kickdown, but it would require a narrower bandwidth on the set speed
This comment needs a pin
Well said. I was thinking the first paragraph. You said it well so I don’t need to.
Sadly you are confused about how towing works in the real world.
@@harveypaxton1232 feel free to explain what I'm missing
@@limprooster3253 The higher the numerical ratio in the axle, the less stress on the engine and transmission when operating at or near GVW or CGVW when towing. The newer 8 and 10 speed transmissions make this even smoother. Going to a 4.10 axel ratio makes them tow even better.
The higher the number, the "lower" the gearing. 3:73 is a "lower" gear ratio than 3.31.
If you hadn't said it, I and probably many others, would have.
Maybe folks who pretend to teach via video should actually learn first, then teach. It might also be good to have someone proofread or proofwatch their stuff. It would save a lot of the ol' egg-on-face syndrome.
@@hotflashfoto - I actually typed a lot more than that. Then I proof read it and decided to just keep it simple. I do that a lot sometimes. It's a good way to blow off steam without making a arse of myself in the process. ;-)
3:73:1 is a higher ratio than 3.31:1. That is a mathematical fact.
@@oldjarhead386 - and your understanding of the process is so very flawed, but you're not alone in that. Think about it, the "higher" the gearing, the "slower" the engine has to turn to achieve a given speed. The "lower" the gearing, the "faster" the engine has to turn to achieve a given speed. Think first gear vs fourth gear. With the final drive ratio of 3.73:1, the drive shaft has to turn 3.73 revolutions to turn the wheels one turn. The 3.31:1 ratio, the drive shaft only has to turn 3.31 revolutions to turn the wheels one turn. The 3.73 has to turn more revolutions to travel a given distance than the 3.31 ration does. That's why 3.73 is a "lower" gear ratio than 3.31 and "that" is the mathematical fact of the matter. I used to own a 2016 Mustang GT with a manual transmission. The gear ratios were as follows:
1st - 4.17:1
2nd - 2.34:1
3rd - 1.52:1
4th - 1.14:1
5th - 0.87:1
6th - 0.69:1
Note that the "lower" gears have "higher" numbers. 5th and 6th gears are what they call an "overdrive," because the output side of the transmission is actually turning faster than the input side, that being the engine itself. I hope this clarifies things a little.
That's a great test of an F150 with gas. Let me offer a Diesel towing example. I have the standard 2023 6.7 diesel. Gears are 3.31. I tow at 65-70 MPH with my 6,000 lb trailer and get about 15.5 MPG up and down hills. On the flat, it gets about 20 MPG
I just drove it across Oregon and down to Yuba City, Ca. I kept it about 75 and occasionally 80. I got 21.3 MPG on a little over 1,200 miles. The trip down I actually got 22.3 MPG. The hills going back to Portland were quite a bit steeper. the Diesel engine produces fairly flat torque between 1500 and 3000 RPM and it doesn't hit 1500 RPM in 10th gear until I hit 70 MPH.
It's great to see how these trucks perform in the extremes.
Hi Alex.
Excellent results numbers in each segment (V6 Biturbo and V8 normally aspirated). That coyote is great for occasional work and recreational trips and with the V8 coyote it is the best! There is no doubt that the coyote became the most efficient! Although my reasoning will always be: large loads and/or towing long distances and with a daily routine; then the best choice will be a diesel. THANK YOU very much for your EXCELLENT COMPARISON AND YOUR COMMENTS!
You are the best Alex, a HUG and BLESSINGS x ALWAYS! 🙏
Big HUG from CDMX; México! 😮
Got 4mpg towing with the Chevy 454 and turbo 400 trans back in the day. It is physics or something, it takes so much energy to do so much work... I had a 5L in 2016 with the 6spd and it was a lame high revving dog. Had three Ecoboost since a 2.7 which was surprisingly quick and two 3.5's which have been absolute beasts. They drive like a diesel with gobs of torque down low. My V8 was in a coma below 4k rpm. I had to flog and rev it out to do any work.
This is the kind of comparison that needs to be done! Thank you for a great video!
Thank you sir.
Excellent comparison, i tow with 3.73s in my OBS Chevy and I think the key to towing with them and still get decent fuel economy is to just go a little slower on the highway. Towing our travel trailer and stay between 55&60 mph and I average between 10.5&12 depending on the conditions. I only have three speeds though since I don't tow in overdrive lol.
Thank you for this video. Very few talk about the differential gearing included in our cars and trucks. One thing I wanted to mention is that the higher the numbers go on the ratio actually means the gearing is lower, not higher. So, the 3.73 gears are lower than the 3.23 gears. Another is that even though the engine spins faster with 3.73 gears vs. 3.23 gears at the same rpm, it makes it easier on the engine to pull heavier loads, creating less strain on the engine. Anyway, just some friendly feedback. I just subscribed to your channel. Thank you.
Just bought a f150 5L with 3.55 gears, now you have to make another video haha.
Perfect in-between 👍
If I were towing all the time...like 85% or more or some odd situation where I needed that off-the-line grunt to move something like a loaded farm wagon or whatever, then 3.73's. But with the 10 speed transmission and all those close ratios, it seems the 3.31's would be a more logical choice for overall performance and economy. The 3.31's got the job done just fine with the added benefit of better fuel economy both towing and I'm sure empty driving. The 10 speed transmission is definitely a rear gear equalizer when driving down the road. Almost like having a splitter in a big truck.
Exactly my thoughts…
Agreed, I think the difference is pretty minor with 10 speed transmissions. When we used to have 3 or 4 speeds it would make a lot more difference. Aside from getting the load moving it's not that big of a difference. People get way too worked up about what the best gearing is.
That’s why GM offers only 1 diff ratio, even in the big diesels
I drive a F150 FX4, 5.0 engine, 373 gears, 10 speed trans, I pull trailer with 4wheelers in the ozark mountains. It also has Nitto's Recons 11:00 X 34's. This truck is perfect in the mountains or my drive to work. (lot of power).
@@sledforpeace No, GM does that because they’re lazy and ran by liberals.
I know e85 isnt available everywhere but that is a major reason I bought the 5.0. It gains big time without a tune running e85 and it will tow my 7k enclosed around 2600 rpm. If all you ever plan to run is 87, obviously the 3.5 will be stronger but just throwing e85 in the tank closes that gap big time, granted mpg tanks but e85 is also 20-25% cheaper than 87 so it works out.
Great video! I’ve been waiting on an explanation like this.
I've been towing Rv's for 40+ years. Old school no replacement for displacement was whisked away for me when I got my 2015 F150 with a 3.5L ECO with a 3.31. This was the Heavy Tow option pkg. I towed a 7200# travel trailer. Tows it like a dream up and down the hills & mtns here in the Pacific NW. I also had a 2020 F150 with the V-8 & 3.73rear. I actually preferred the ECO for towing. The twin turbos make torque! Now have a F350 with 3.73 rear & 7.3L Godzilla & 8400# trailer. About the same tow with more stability. MPG's on all 3 are very, very close to the same at 10.3 mpg +/- 0.1 mpg. I've never gone below 7 mpg's & that was with a good sized head wind. Not sure how you got 5-6 mpg's? Totally agree the higher numbered rear will move a load better though. Its all about getting it started and keeping in the TQ range.
TURBOS KILL ENGINES....GOOD LUCK
@@billw8476 Do you own one that gave you a problem?? I sold mine 3 years ago with no issues and the new owner to this day has had no issues. I was hesitant at first due to the small cu.in. size but a friend with one several years old and over 100k miles hauling a track hoe had nothing but praise. I'd buy another one in heartbeat. Lots of "war stories" but actual problems are no different than any other engine. Turbos have been used for many years in many engines. Honda, Toyota & Ram have gone to them as well.
Dude those comparisons are very interesting and informative. Great job 👏
My F150 is a supercrew 4x4. It has the 2.7L ecoboost and 3.55's. The 2.7L has no problems towing, within the limitations of tongue weight, suspension setup, and tire construction.
Better than the Eco on fuel, worse than the 3.31. That all makes sense. I have seen some frustrating shift logic when towing with the 3.73. I have locked out gears 8-10 while towing in some steep, and/or rolling hills. Still was able to get 9-12 mpg towing a 22 foot Airstream at up to 75 mph in those hills. It might rev higher, but it isn't an unpleasant sound track. 😊
You should lock out gears 8-10 when towing anyway.My MaxTow 3.5 when in tow haul mode does not shift past 8
@@jasonbrushett2005 I think 8th gear is one to one in the transmission too.
@@LandParkColby 7th gear is one to one
75 is to fast. What is your hurry?
@@Jbs6187 You do realize that in all his towing tests, he is doing 110 kmh. That works out to ~68.3 mph. On the downhills, he has reached 115, which is ~71.4 mph. If your equipment is rated for what you're doing, and you're confident in your abilities and comfortable with the risks, the speed at which you travel, within legal limits, is up to the discretion of the driver. That goes for all weather conditions, in all situations, towing or otherwise. Stay safe out there! 🙂
Great video! The other towing factor not discussed, is downhill. I have a '16 Ram 1500 with 3.92 ratio. My wife used to have a '14 Ram 1500 with 3.21 ratio. Speed control going downhill was way better with my trucks 3.92 ratio.
One day, she went and traded in her truck for a brand new Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins with the 3.42 ratio, just to get the VGT turbo exhaust brake. Of course that Cummins gets awesome fuel economy using Hot Shot Secret EDT and that tall ratio gearing. But since the 6.7L has excess torque. The two missing gears of the six speed vs eight speed and the tall ratio are not a problem.
Seems to me that the takeaway is that many-speed transmissions eliminate the need for shorter final drive ratios.
The difference is only in the first gear and 10th gear.
No you still need the lower (numerically higher) gear ratio to pull loads.
@darryladams519 Did you watch the video? Yea, the shorter ratio pulled harder from a stop, but neither struggled much. Once moving there wasn't much difference at all.
You are correct. Unless you’re always in 1st gear or reverse there is no need for the super low rear end gearing.
I'm going to re-gear my rear-end from 4.11 to 1.89. But I'm gonna put a 65 spd transmission in .
Would be interesting to see a similar comparison with the 7.3 gasser and 4.30s vs 3.73 or even 3.55s
My 7.3 with 4.30 gears pulls harder than my dad’s 7.3 with 3.55 gears, but the 3.55 isn’t available any longer. It’s only 3.73 and 4.30. But the 4.30 gears are jumpy in traffic til I put it in eco mode. My dad gets 1mpg better, which is significant. Our trucks have 48 gallon tanks so he can go about 42 miles further on each tank before the “low fuel” light kicks on.
@@cliffordmontana4562 I have the 4.30 with the diesel and don't find it bad in traffic. The biggest issue is that you are in 10th by 45 mph.
@@rich7447 Maybe it’s programmed different with the gas engine, or maybe the little bit of turbo lag the 6.7 has makes it feel less jumpy. I don’t know. And yes, my gas truck is in 10th gear at 45 mph as well. If I’m driving on roads under 50mph I lock out 10th gear and cruise in 9th.
@@cliffordmontana4562 It definitely could be related to the difference in power delivery. The rev range for the powerband is a lot different with the 7.3 vs the 6.7. You are almost past my redline at idle. LOL.
The truck also doesn't give me full power in the first two or three gears (traction control).
Good video. While not directly relevant, I'm surprised you didnt give a courtesy-mention that the 3.31 gears are a 8.8" differential while the 3.73 come with a 9.75" diff.
My 2020 F150 has 3.55 gears. I have the best of both worlds.
You also have the worst of both worlds lol
Mine has 3.55 as well, wish I had 3.73 because sometimes I tow at the edge of 1/2 ton sanity.
4.56's did wonders for my old 4.6 2v truck, with regards to towing.
Man what are your rpms on the highway?
@@ramsesgonzalez5193 I had 33's on that truck, but about 2k at 60
re-geared my 2014 f350 from 3.73 to 4.56's.. in the Pacific Northwest it makes a huge difference when you go from sea level to 3k or 5k in only a few miles. Truck pulls the hills so much easier, that being said, it is not a highspeed long distance truck, unless your towing the whole time.
What engine?
@@johnhahn8464 6.2 gas
@@tarster what's you mpgs now?
@@johnhahn8464best I ever got stock 14.9, regularly got 13 - 13.5, now I get solid 10, maybe 11 at best.
The 3.73 had to downshift because the total mechanical advantage wasn't enough to satisfy engine load based on the calibration. Total mechanical advantage (4.75) = transmission ratio (1.275(6th) ) X differential ratio (3.73). The 3.31's were at 5.03 = 3.31*1.520. The chosen vehicle speed adds to this all.
Kinda seemed like there was a mixed bag in terms of impressions on the 3.73s here. Mentioning more shifting, less fuel economy. I have no doubt the 3.73s feel more peppy but the 3.31s seemed to do very well at the speeds you were traveling at, and perhaps they were more advantageous at some of those particular speeds versus the 3.73s. Having the 10-speed really means you can have your cake and eat it too (if it's reliable).
Dude, you need to understand gear ratios before talking about them. A 3.73 is a lower gear ratio than a 3.31. Numerically it's a higher number but in gear ratio speak it is lower.
Took the words right out of my mouth. When I started watching I was like wait a minute. LOL
I was thinking that too, but I think he meant numerically. Was just awkward though.😮
He is a big diesel mechanic, he probably knows just didn’t word it well.
He knows what he's talking about. His terminology may be a little off. It's a good thing all the internet experts are here to save the day.
He explained it properly. The higher the number, the more the drive shaft turns for every wheel revolution therefore a higher gear ratio.
2022 RCSB 5.0 4x4. 4.10 @ torsen front 4.09 @ clutch posi rear. 22x9 Ford aluminum wheels 46psi 285/55/22 GO15 Yokohama tires. Basically 3.73 effective gear ratio. Truck rips avg 19+ 60-65 @ 17+ @ 70-80mph. Have towed 6,900lbs of steel in my dump trailer (3,300lbs) for a total of 16,860lbs @ avg 60mph with no problems. Have a ladder rack @ aluminum tool box in bed. New F150 is under rated in what it is capable of doing with the right gears ,wheels and tires. Stock not so much.....
I have an f-150 with 3.73 gears. I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't tow all the time but when I do tow the gear really helps.
Now you need to order a custom flex fuel tune for both trucks from reputable 5L F150 tuners like All Motor Research Labs, or an OZ tune, and put E85 (or 91/93 if you must use pump gas) in the tank, and really experience how potent these 18+ 5L/10R80 trucks can be with just a basic tune. You'd be surprised at how well these trucks respond to good gas, and a tune. Factory tuning is ultra conservative, and withholds a ton of timing from the engine to let it live happy on 87 octane with a 12:1 CR. Also the tuning on the transmission is much improved with these tuners.
I assume this is e85 ethanol and not e85r ethanol? What sort of mileage decrease would you expect running e85?
@@ryananderson6321 just E85 you buy at the pump. At the pump they claim it has an octane rating of 105, but that its actual content can be anywhere from E70-E85. Still a much higher octane than premium octane pump gas, and the beauty of flex fuel is it will self adjust to match whatever you're running in the tank. Some tuners want to give you 4-5 different tunes for this fuel of that fuel. The heck with that. Mustang with 5L, or F150 with EB are nit factory flex fuel, but the gas cap on the F150 5L is yellow indicating that it is factory flex fuel. Use it and let it self adjust to whatever fuel mixture is in your tank and whatever situation you're in. All this, "I got a 87 tune, and a 91 tune, and a 93 tune, and a tow tune, and blah, blah, blah. Piss on that, leave that to them Egobewst's. (I own a 17 3.5L/10R80 501A truck as well) That why I push AMRL and OZ so much. Their tunes embrace the factory flex fuel setup, and use it, where most every other tuner want to give you tunes for any given octane of situation, but what if you get some crappy gas, or what if your mixture of filling up a previous tank of 87 with E85 only yields 97 octane instead of 105? IDK why Lund, or PBD, or other big 5L tuners don't adopt flex fuel when tuning the F150. It doesn't compromise overall power/performance like adaptive tunes for EB do.
Its MPG's are pretty piss poor on E85. Think GEN2 Lightning, or GEN Tundra 5.7L type MPG's. Still that's expected. It takes more E85 to = X energy than it does gasoline. I've seen where some people with 21+ trucks that use cylinder deactivation can cruise around between 16-17 MPG. In my 18 I get in a 13 MPG range. Still worth it for the power, as it's over $1.00 less a gallon than premium, so in the long run it kind of equals out, and I personally am not going to run around on 87 octane with a 12:1 CR regardless of what the OEM claims.
Here's a bone stock 4x4/crewcab with an OZ tune.
th-cam.com/video/1XrsIZd4IjE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4F7DuMsYVuAMmteb
Here's a 2WD/crewcab, with a ported Boss 302 manifold, a ram air intake, LT's, and deleted cats, running an AMRL tune and E85 in the tank.
th-cam.com/video/Vv_OGA7oKF8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_vDykPe1K3x7m-v0
@@JROC734 all I heard was Charlie Brown’s teacher going on about something. Lol
@@beri232 I don't watch Charlie Brown, but apparently you do, so props to for your little joke slick.
Bro the critical part of all this is that the transmission has 10 gears. The 3.73 vs 3.31 is going to make very little difference from like 3rd to 8th gear maybe even 1 more on each side. The 3.73 has the biggest effect on the extremes of the tranny gearing. So you are gonna take off right from a stop faster, and your top gear will hang around a little higher rpm than the 3.31. But there are 8 other gears for the transmission to adjust from in between. For a ten speed I’d just choose the middle gear set 3.55 and let the transmission figure it out unless you tow really heavy. One thing the 3.73 does do though is take a little bit of mechanical stress away from the transmission by letting it spin a little faster for the same speed output. A 3.73 would be a little more practical in a truck with less transmission gearing. Like my 2011 f150 with the 6 speed. Otherwise like a said, the biggest notice will be in 1st and 10th on the new truck.
Great comparison video.
I'm a happy 3.73 gear owner. I'm glad to see the comparison
It's not a make or break but certainly makes the towing experience easier on the truck.
This was a very informative video! Thanks for all that you do.
Thank you sir!
Alex, another great test video. The mpg's do hurt, but that's the price with towing a trailer. I wonder how the F250 7.3 would compare, times and mpgs? Have a great week.
Modern semi trucks use 2.15 - 2.64 as standard rear ratios , no loss in pulling power at all. Gear reduction is handled in the transmissions
Wrong.
Great Video! Thank you 🔥👏💪🫶
Again, love the videos. Debating between Ford 3.5/5.0 F150 Tremor with 373 or Chevy 3L ZR2. Having a really hard time. Had a 3L diesel and amazing truck. Have and still own 3.5 and also amazing truck. Like a sports car. However, can you PLEASE do a test with your trailer with a Chevy 3L LZ0. I’d love to see those numbers vs the trucks I have listed. You have done basically every half ton but the king of MPG and also seems like your favourite motor. Pls do that test 😊
2022 f150 5.0, 373 grs, averaged 10.6 mpg towing a 1976 bronco (est. the trailer and bronco to = around 7500 lbs ) from kansas city to hurricane utah and back. Took interstate 70 over the Rockies and drove the speed limit, Speed limit was 80mph in parts of utah and 70 to 75 mph in Kansas and Colorado. I did not try to get good mpg at all.
My 2011 Ram 4x4 with 5.7 hemi. It has 3:92 gears and has always towed anything i hook it to effortless.
Higher gear is 3.31. Lower is 3.73. Some people have no clue.
I ordered a '24 STX 5.0 supercab with the max tow pkg (3.73) as I'm hoping to pull a 26-ft Grand Design toy hauler (Momentum 21G) that's about 9K lbs when loaded with a Can-Am 3-wheeler.
If I knew I would tow with a 5L, I'd order the 3.9-ish or 4.11 axle. The latter WILL reduce the MPG, BUT gain you about 4000 Lbs of "towing capacity" by Ford's website. "If you ain't got HP, you better have gears." The late Mr. Springer, a 50 year GAS 115-165 HP semi driver who taught me to drive a Triplex transmission.
3.73 is as high as it gets for 2024 (I think) I never saw any other rear end options for the 5.0 or 3.5 with or without max tow axle.
My 2015 5.0 had the 3:31 gears with the 6 speed. Regeared to 3:73 and that was a game changer for the 6 speed. With 10 ply 33”s on the factory 3:31 gears trans would hunt for gears like crazy, 3:73 straightened that out perfectly. I’m going back to factory size standard load tire this weekend so curious how the 3:73 is gonna feel with them.
It’s interesting watching you tow with the 5.0 being a eco boost owner. The engine is SCREAMING the entire time. With a similar load my eco boost is whisper quiet and is flying up hills at 2500 rpm. I like the 5.0 but for towing I’d rather not hear it screaming for hours on end.
“If I liked the video “!! Of course
Great job man
I have 3.73 gears in my 2.7 and it does surprisingly well towing
A 3.73 ratio is far better suited to towing than a 3.31ratio. additionally, tire diameter plays into this. If you have larger diameter tires than factory equipped, that effects towing ability. Larger diameter tire means less towing ability.
can you do a fuel mileage test with 3.73 vs 3.31 also?
3.55 is a happy median
yes or 3.45
3.73 is the best all around for 6 speed, 8/10 speed a 3.55.
That's what I have on my '18 5L and the 3.55 is nice for road trips and but it's a little bit sluggish when towing a big box trailer. The transmission temp is always pinned in the middle and my MPG is usually around 12 when going 70mph
Yeah I have the 3.55 gears ⚙️ in my 2021ram1500 classic great for towing my boat 😊
@@TomStarcevich-fb3qo same 2013 4x4 short bed ram tow a 6000lb airstream
Even comparing different years with the same axle ratios but more gears in the transmission can make a huge difference. A five speed vs. an eight speed, you will definitely notice a differenc.
I've come to discover, after trading my 2014 F150 Ecoboost for a 2018 Lexus LX570 with the 5.7L V8 and 8 speed, that gearing does matter with the V8's, especially at elevation. Mostly to gain access to additional gears and get into the powerband. You have to rev the piss out of them to get to the HP.
My Ecoboost did not care. It had the old 6 speed and I was even running 35's on the stock axle gears, and it would still pull super strong at 6500' of elevation. There was virtually no situation where I ever had to floor my Ecoboost and use all of its available power. My LX570 on stock 32's and 3.31 axle struggles with the same trailer. There is a few climbs where I get into a power well where I can't drop another gear and I end up losing a bunch of speed and end up at 55mph with my foot buried in the throttle. I am considering swapping the 3.31's for 3.91's from a tundra to shift all the gears down one. Basically my new 8th gear would be equal to my old 7th, old 6th equal to new 7th, etc. That would give me an extra gear to play with.
The answer is obvious. Of course it will tow better. It will accelerate better when not towing also. The trade off is slightly worse fuel economy when taking long highway trips as you will be running a higher rpm. Always buy the higher gear ratio! It will put you in the engines powerband faster. It really depends on matching the rpm that the gears give you to the engines sweet spot.
With a 10 speed transmission and a bunch of gear ratios to choose from once I’m at speed I don’t really think the rear end ratio matters as much I like the 3.73 for all that torque multiplication off the line when hauling a heavy load
The "higher" numbers (3.73) is a LOWER gear ratio over a lower number 3.31. Said differently, a 3.31 is a higher gear ratio over a 3.73.
I towed a 14 foot enclosed aluminum trailer with my 2012 ford f150 with 5.0l 6 speed tranny and 3.55 gears from Minnesota to Wyoming and back and average 7 mpg for the trip. Average speed was about 70mph the whole trip on the interstate. Trailer was loaded with 2 atvs and some camping/hunting gear
Something must be wrong lol.
My 2014 has 35 inch tires, 3:55s and with a 16 foot enclosed, and about 7000lbs total it gets 11mpg doing 70mph
Yeah what he is saying is not even feasible. You will be lucky to see 7mpg on an unloaded truck. My ram 1500 ecodiesel could get 8mpg with nothing but me and was tuned/deleted and doing less than 120 km/h.
Seems like the 10-speed auto mitigates much the need for a 3.73, at least after you get out of first from a standstill?
It does performance wise, but the 3.73 upgrades to a 9.75” rear axle which handles more weight than the 8.8” with the 3.31.
Big heavy tires like lower gearing.
I hope you get to do a highway fuel economy test without the trailer. I’m curious how much of a hit the 3.73 will take on the freeway at 70+ miles per hour compared to the 3.31….if there is even a significant hit at all.
I certainly do sir! and its a mind bender to say the least!
@@GettysGarage awesome! Can’t wait to see the results. Love your channel!!
yeah. I would take the 3.73 every time. I had a truck with 3.55 and it was good for getting groceries and running up and down the interstate not towing anything. It was basically a car. Get 4.10's and watch it pull. yeah I don't know about a ten speed trans. I would rather have a 6 or 8 speed, but I am old school. We'll never see fuel economy like before EPA mandated urea Bravo Sierra Carp, of 2007-08. EPA neutered diesels. Trudeau just followed along. Good video's Alex. best regards chuck
My 5.0 6R80 w/ 3.31s tows well. May not be as aggressive or quick as a 3.73 but it has always done the job and gets pretty darn good fuel economy all things considered.
5.0 and the ten Speed transmission is a great combination.
@@ALMX5DP yeah I agree, I always like the six speed transmission. Good transmission. In Alex's tests, he is letting the truck decide on the gears and when to shift. If you can manually select a gear in anticipation of an upcoming hill get some momentum, and back off little by little instead of forcing 4 grand RPM, you can achieve good fuel mileage.
@@parrott350 yup, I added a Raptor wheel to mine which is quite nice to have the paddle shifters right at hand to make that type of driving very intuitive.
Good video Alex.....you just proved that regardless of rear axle ratio,the 3.5 Ecoboost is better than both of those 5.0's when it comes to towing performance😊.Maybe try a 3:55 axle next time.
I don’t think anyone has ever disputed that! The disputes always center around long term durability.
He would have to get a 2020 or older to test a 5.0L with 3.55s.
You really need to stop saying it taller gears when referring to numerically higher numbers. In common car speak / parlance this is lower gearing as the mechanical advantage is better and thus lower gears. As with a bicycle chain the bigger rear gears are actually lower gears. Otherwise, I really do enjoy your reviews and consider you to be one of the better reviewers on TH-cam.
Transmission and tire size also play a huge roll in gearing, or the perception of it. A truck with 33” tires, 4.10 gears and a 4 speed won’t tow as well as the same truck with a 3.73 gear ratio, and the same truck with a 10 speed and a 3.42 will even tow better, if you drop a gear or two in the 10 speed with a 3.42 it will be at about the same RPM as the truck with the 4.10 at the same speed, but it will have a lower first gear and closer gear splits so it won’t feel like it’s working as hard.
would love to see this same gear ratio comparison test using the 7.3 gas superduty
I tow a 30 foot camper with my 2014 F-150 5.0with 3.55 gears and it gets roughly 32L/100km and tows it fine in my opinion. Ive never felt under powered. Maybe my "old" truck is better then these "new" ones 😂. 3.55 seems to be a great all around gear ratio in my opinion
I have same truck 5000lb 24 foot TT doing 62mph I get around 12mpg wind is the biggest factor
The 3.31 paired with the 3.5 is pretty solid. The 5.0 does best with the 3.73
I have the 3.55 paired with the 3.5. I had the 3.31 with my last 3.5 Night and day difference. I will never get the 3.31s again
Agreed the 3.73 seem to make the 5L feel the best to drive
3.5 with 3.73
@@GettysGarage CORRECT!
You make great videos, sir, and I watch many of them, and maybe this was corrected elsewhere in the video or comments....
However, higher gearing is NOT the bigger number, like 3.73.
3.73 is the 'lower' gearing, even if it has a larger number.
Keep on Truckin.
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Edit...
The bigger number, 3.73:1 in this case, does give a mechanical advantage as you say, as gearing multiplies torque. However, the higher number is a 'lower gearing', not a higher.
even tho i hardley ever use my truck s a truck...when i order it i always go for the lowest(higher number) gear i can..so 4.10 or 3.92 or whatever. Because when i spend 75-90k on a truck today i want it to have the most truck capability. And one thing i hate is putting the cruise on....and getting to a hill and having the tranny downshift..i want it to just smoothly cruise
I wish my 21 Tundra had a 10 speed auto!!
I’d be grateful these engines don’t spin bearings!!
With the ten speed transmission it probably makes less of a difference than back when there were only three and four speed autos.
On the Transcontinental Railroad the steeps grades are in the Appalachians, and the steepest Interstate grade is in the Appalachias.
love your vids.. you struggled on this one to prove a point that was working against you lol, old school drivers knows lower gearing, or a higher gear ratio so I don't het slammed is better for towing heavy loads, if you had a manual trans and not relied on computers to determine what the truck does people would understand better
The TCU doesn’t seem to behave as it did in the 331. It didn’t downshift as quick making it necessary to shift 2 gears at a time to get up the hill. 8000# is a lot of weight for any half ton truck. If you’re towing a trailer that heavy consistently, the super duty would be a better choice. You’d probably get better gas mileage with the Godzilla engine. Godzilla considers Coyotes a snack!😂
i got 10 to 11 mpg pulling 7000 pounds with my 2006 5.4L with 3.73 rear end and a 4 speed trans just a week ago.
I have been playing with HP tuners, tuning, and towing with the 10 speed. There are some odd combos of weight and gear ratio with the 10 speed. If your speed and load are just right, you get the double downahift problem as noted on the 3.73 in this video. Thia is a transmission tuning problem and does hurt fuel mileage. The lower gear (3.73) in this case, should have less "space" between gears and be able to find the perfect RPM for every load, but the double downshift issue seems to negate the advantage. If one would manual shift, in this situation, the 3.73 gear truck would probably never drop in to 4th gear to run this loop. But thats just a work around for poor calibrating on Fords part. Its interesting because fuel mileage is gained when it hangs onto 6th gear "too long" but the downside is that when it finally has to shift, it misses 5th gear all together and hits 5000 rpm in 4th. A shift back to 5th when speed drops to 105 kph instead of hanging on to 102 and then going to 4th is the right adjustment for this combo.
With a modern 10 speed transmission, my choice would be the taller gearing (3.31) all day, shifting isn’t a bad thing, that’s why the tranny has 10 gears. The better fuel economy towing and empty is worth it. If the trailer is much over 8000 lbs, I’d rather be towing with a 3/4 ton anyway.
Did you not watch the video?
Yes I did.
@@ambassadorofconciliation 5.0s suck down low. 3.31s are for empty daily drivers, not tow rigs. Nobody that tows often would willingly give up the mechanical advantage and an easier life for the engine and trans for .8 mpg.
✌️ Honestly, if I was towing anything of consequence OFTEN, I probably would not buy a 5.0 half ton with either 3:31 or 3:73.
I have the 3.55 rear end in my 2013 F-150. I pull a 6k Black Series HQ15. 3.55 is a good gear ratio for fuel economy and the 5.0 Coyote power makes up for this gear ratio.
With a 10 speed and all the ratios it has, final drive gearing means much less than it ever has. Back when we only had 4 gears it made a much bigger difference. If you want the best towing option you probably need to look at the 3.5 EB.
Awesome comparison, I'd love to see this same video with the gm 3.0L Diesel
Those suckers are hard to get! but would love to see this with the 3L Duramax
Towed about 6000lb combo with my 23 5.0 and got 11-12mpg fwiw
You seemed to be surprised that you obtained about the same fuel economy in your test of the two ford F150s with different axle ratios. I am not surprised by your results and my experience backs this up:
1. All else being equal, the same amount of energy is required to move the vehicle and its load over a given distance at a given speed regardless of the axle ratio. The axle ratio does not change wind resistance or the effects of gravity.
2. Engines do have a sweet spot for the best efficiency. Cruising over the optimal range may decrease fuel economy slightly only because the engine is operating out of the most efficient range. Generally, the ideal range for fuel-efficient cruising is between 1,500 and 2,500 RPM. Modern 8 and 10 speed transmissions act to select the transmission gear to keep the engine rpms in this sweet spot. When towing with a 3.92 axle ration, my 8 speed transmission settles into 7th gear on the highway. With a 3.21 axle ratio, it will likely be in 6th gear, keeping the final drive ratio about the same.
3. There may be situations where the lower axle ratio may make a bit of a difference on fuel economy:
a. If driving at high speeds on the highway (80 mph +) the engine may be operating above the sweet spot even in top gear. This might make a little bit of difference, but anyone driving at those speeds is going to get horrible fuel economy regardless of the axle ratio due to the exponential increase in wind resistance at high speeds.
b. Vehicles with lower axle ratios accelerate more rapidly. Rapid acceleration decreases fuel economy. Drivers who race from stop light to stop light may find their their fuel economy to be less with a higher axle ratio simply because they are accelerating more rapidly. This effect can be negated by conservative driving habits.
In summary, conservative driving, as you used in your tests, will not result in much of a negative effect on fuel economy with modern 8 or 10 speed vehicles with a higher axle ratio. What owners will notice with a higher axle ratio is better acceleration and improved towing capacity.
Gearing doesnt matter as much as it used to. With the amount of gears these new transmissions have (10 in this case) the truck has many gears to choose from while towing. Back in the day when trucks had a 4 or 5 speed transmissions, you’d want to choose your rear end gearing to optimize torque at the speed you want to tow at.
So in this case you actually are better off with the 3.31 for towing that weight at that speed. The 3.73 couldn’t maintain speed in 6th so it had to downshift. The 3.31 maintained speed without downshifting because it was putting the necessary torque to the wheels.
You keep recommending the 3.73 but the only point it was any better was off the line. The 10spd is really a bit of an outlier when it comes to traditional thoughts on gearing because the transmission itself has so much more mechanical advantage that vesicles have traditionally had. And sub 6mpg is appalling. My old 15 truck with the 6spd managed 9.5 pulling just shy of 11,000 lbs over a roughly 500 mile loop. That truck also has a mustang manifold that likes rpm, 3.31s and a taller tire than factory. I’d take it over that 3.73 truck any day of the week
It has nothing to do with pulling power and everything to do with weight handling. The 3.73 upgrades the rear axle to a heavier duty 9.75” rear axle. The 3.31 comes with the standard 8.8” rear axles. The 9.75” holds 1000 more lbs of direct weight on it than the 8.8”. That’s why he keeps recommending the 3.73. Why do you think the max tow package for the 5.0 automatically includes the 3.73?
The only thing more heavy duty about the 9.75 is the center chunk. They both have 3.25 axle tubes but the S8.8 gets thicker walled tubes
@@tylerphelps4868 well there’s actually 2 different variants. There’s a standard 9.75” and a 9.75HD
Torque is mechanical advantage which reduces effort to move a weight. The bicycle could better explain the relationship of drive gear at the axle and the transmission looking at the bicycle having only one gear at the back wheel. Deciding which size of gear which is better depends on value engine effort vs distance desired (think as how many pedal strokes on a bicycle going up a hill).
Before engines had the torque and horsepower of today’s trucks gear ratios were the only means of ensuring a decent ability to tow with relative ease. My last two pickups I ordered with 3:73 axel gears because I lived in a mountainous region and towed a lot. If I were to buy a new pickup I would consider a gear ratio that delivers a wee bit better fuel economy, not something so tall.
Gearing was a bigger issue back in the day of 3 and four speed transmissions. With todays 8-10 speeds. To can go to a higher gear like the 3.31 gear. The extra drop in gears (going from 6 to 4) is due more to the program if in the computer. If you had a transmission that was only 1/1 or a direct drive you might need 450 hp to get up the hill. The truck doesn’t produce that. So it splits the gears and compounds the house and torque. The computer lets the rpm drop to conserve fuel then drops two gears to make sure it’s at peak hp. Companies are all about mpg now adays. The lower gear will always be better for towing loads but mpg seems to be what companies are going for the most.
My 2010 Tundra 5.7L had a 4.30 gear ratio and was a gas killer with 6mpg towing a 6500lbs boat. 2018 Ram 2500 Cummins pulls the same boat at 13mpg. Easy decision for me.
I find it wild toyota went with such intense gearing. but the high gear ratio probably helps put less stress on the engine and trans with that mechanical advantage. BUT fuel economy as you pointed out takes a large hit lol
@@GettysGarage : I always thought Toyota was going for the higher tow rating and 0-60 times. They figured lower fuel economy would be an acceptable price to pay. It was a great truck and my Ram 2500 will never ride as smooth as the Tundra with the independent front suspension.
lol my f350 6.2 gasser gets 10mpg with 10,000 tt.
My diesel ram work truck gets 10.2 with just a little service body on it. Way under 10,000lbs
The rear end ratio has less effect on the results than how the transmission shifts in the different trucks. It seems like they created the 10-speed, but decided to not use them all.
Id like to see the same gearing test with 2 v8 trucks boosted
Test the 2.7 towing.
It would surprise most people,the 2.7 is more than a capable hauler
It all depends upon what speed youre wanting to tow at...and where your drivetrain makes its power 😊
Note: If you put bigger tires on your rig you are defeating any advantage of lower gearing.
I’d like to see the same tests, with just acceleration, and not towing.
Great video though Ive never heard anyone say High gearing for a higher numerical gear set and visversa.